• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.82-95
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• 2000

The purpose of this study is to provide a basis to recognize the health behaviors of middle-aged women that are constructive to a healthy life style. Data were collected from interview of questionnaires completed by 208 middle-aged women living in Incheon from November 1 to 30, 1999. The questionnaires used in this study were obtained from publications on health-related topics shown in literature review. These topics included : health concept, diseases, use of tobacco, alcohol, caffeine, drug, exercise and diet, cause of stress and stress management. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics using the SPSS program. The results of this study were as follows. 1. Middle-aged women though of concept of health as a doing daily living pattern(48.1%). 2. 49.5% of the middle-aged women had illness or disease, which included gastritis, arthritis, anemia, hypertension, indigestion and allergies. 3. 1.4% of the middle-aged women smoked cigarettes. Most of them began to smoke due to stress. 4. 42.3% of the middle-aged women drink alcohol. Most of them began drinking due to peer pressure. 5. 28.8% of the middle-aged women consumed caffeine-containing products 5-7 times per week. 6. 55.3% of the middle-aged women took drugs. Most of the drugs were digestant and analgesics. 7. 21.2% of the middle-aged women exercised more than 2 times per week. 8. Most of causes of stress were economic difficulties and sickness. The method of stress management were enduring and sleeping.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.412-427
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• 2001

The purpose of this study is to provide a basis to recognize the health behaviors of middle-aged men that are constructive to a healthy life style. Data were collected from interview of questionnaires completed by 160 middle aged men living in Incheon from November 1 to 30, 2000. The questionnaires used in this study were obtained from publications on health related topics shown in literature review. These topics included : health concept, diseases, use of tobacco, alcohol, caffeine, drug, exercise and diet, cause of stress and stress management. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics using the SPSS program. The results of this study were as follows. 1. $47.5\%$ of Middle aged men thought of concept of health as a doing daily living pattern. 2. $38.5\%$ of the middle aged men had illness or disease, which included hypertension, gastritis, disc, peptic ulcer, indigestion and DM. 3. $55.6\%$ of the middle aged men smoked cigarettes. Most of them the began to smoke due interest. 4. $72.5\%$ of the middle aged men drank alcohol. Most of them began drinking due to peer pressure. 5. $81.2\%$ of the middle aged men consumed caffeine-containing products. 6. $59.4\%$ of the middle aged men took drugs. Most of the drugs were digestant. vitamins and analgesics. 7. $25.2\%$ of the middle aged men exercised more than 2 times per week. 8. Most of causes of stress were economic difficulties and sickness. The method of stress management were alcolhol and use of tobacco mostly.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.12
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• pp.5159-5164
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• 2016

Objective: The dynamics of morbidity, disability and death rates due to malignant neoplasms in the population in Uralsk city of the Republic of Kazakhstan were studied for 2011-2015, with a focus on age and sex, as well as tumor location. Methods: Statistics for total morbidity, primary disability and mortality from cancer in the adult population of the city of Uralsk for 2011-2015 were calculated per 100 thousand. Estimation of morbidity was based on data from form - $N{\underline{o}}12$ ${\ll}$Report on the number of diseases registered in patients living in the area of health care organizations and patient population under medical observation". Evaluation of primary disability was based on form $N{\underline{o}}7$ ${\ll}$The distribution of newly recognized disabled by disease class, age, sex and disability groups" for 2011-2015 in Ural city and analysis of cancer was carried out using annual form 7 "Report on the sick, and diseases of malignant neoplasms". Result: The most common localizations of cancer were the trachea, bronchi, lungs, stomach and mammary glands. High death rates were noted for patients with cancer of the trachea, bronchi, lung, as compared to stomach and esophagus. Conclusion: The results of our investigation and data in the literature indicate that regional characteristics influence the impact of risk factors associated with cancer. An unfavorable environmental background contributes to ill health of urban populations, contributing to development of cancer. Moreover behavioral risk factors are very important, such as smoking, alcohol drinking, and an unhealthy diet. All these factors require urgent adoption of a package of measures for prevention, early detection and timely treatment. Detailed study of cancer is necessary to develop national programs and activities for prevention and control.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.292-302
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• 2021

Purpose: Suicide among adolescents is a serious problem worldwide, and especially, the suicide rate of teenagers is increasing rapidly in South Korea. This study was conducted to investigate the factors affecting the respective suicidal behavior in terms of home-environment characteristics, health behavior characteristics, and psychological health characteristics in Korean adolescents. Methods: The data of the Web-based Survey of the Youth Risk Behavior from 2015 to 2017 collected by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) was analyzed using multivariable logistic regression analysis. Results: The influential factors by depression and suicidal behavior (suicidal ideation (SI), suicidal plan (SP), and suicidal attempt (SA)) were female(adjusted odds ratios [aOR], 1.45, 1.69, 1.30, 2.19), age (aOR 1.03, 0.98, 0.97, 0.90), no family members (aOR 1.21, 1.36, 2.11, 2.32), living with only the father (aOR 1.05, 1.06, 1.07, 1.11), high economic status (aOR 1.15, 1.22, 1.34, 1.46), residence in relatives' home (aOR 1.6, 1.36, 2.34, 1.97), drinking experience (aOR 1.35, 1.47, 1.57, 1.76), smoking experience (aOR 1.28, 1.30, 1.31, 1.94), hospital treatment experience due to violence (aOR 2.18, 3.33, 6.24, 8.40), bad health status (aOR 1.23, 1.48, 2.00, 2.15), unhappiness (aOR 2.49, 6.14, 6.72, 8.89), and a lot of stress (aOR 6.05, 10.40, 4.86, 5.52). Conclusion: The suicidal behavior risk screening and prevention program for adolescents should be developed considering the subjective happiness and hospital treatment experience status due to violence that affects suicidal behavior.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.149-156
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• 2001

Objective : To elucidate risk factors for coronary heart diseases among Korean males. Methods : A nested case control study was conducted among a Korea Medical Insurance Cooperation(KMIC) cohort composed of 108,802 males. The eases included 246 male patients who were admitted to hospital due to coronary heart diseases from 1993 to 1997 (120-25 by ICD) and whose diagnosis was confirmed by the protocol by WHO MONICA Project(1994). The control group was composed of 483 patients selected by frequency matching considering age and resident area from an inpatient care group without coronary heart disease during the same period. For study cases and the controls, the results of a health check-up in 1990 and a questionnaire on life style in 1992 were received through the KMIC. Some additional information was collected by telephone interviews during October 1999. Results : Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the odds ratio(OR) of coronary heart diseases among past smokers and current smokers as compared to non-smokers were 1.94(95% CI : 1.14-3.31) and 2.20(55% CI : 1.35-3.59), respectively. The OR among persons who drank 4 cups or more of caffeinated beverages such as coffee or tea daily as compared to persons who drank one cup for 2-3 days was 2.50(95% CI : 1.07-6.12). The OR among persons with high normal BP and stage 3 hypertension against normotension were 2.51 (95% CI : 1.44-4.37) and 5.08(95% CI : 2.38-10.84). The OR among persons whose blood cholesterol were 240 mg/dL or mere against lower than 200mg/dL was 2.24(95% CI : 1.43-3.49). Conclusion : Smoking, drinking of excessive caffeinated beverages, hypertension and high blood cholesterol were proven to be significant risk factors for coronary heart diseases among Korean males.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.411-422
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• 2015

Objectives: This study investigated the socioeconomic factors that affect quality of life (QL) in healthy adults and to study the relationship between QL and health-related habits and food intake. Methods: Subjects consisted of 1,154 healthy adults without any known disease, aged 19 to 65 years from the 2013 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data. We used SPSS statistical program version 20.0 for data analysis. Results: The average age and QL score of the study population were 36.7 years and 0.99 points, respectively. Males had a significantly higher QL score than the females (p < 0.001), and employed subjects and those employed in permanent positions had significantly higher scores as compared respectively with unemployed subjects and those employed in temporary positions (p < 0.001, p < 0.05). The group that responded "almost every day" to the "frequency of binge drinking" and "frequency of disruption of daily life due to drinking" had significantly lower QL scores as compared to other groups (p < 0.05). Further, the scores were significantly higher for individuals who practiced "intense physical activities" and "walking" (p < 0.001). The groups that responded that they were "very stressed" showed significantly lower QL scores in comparison to the other groups (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in QL scores according to anthropometric or biochemical indices. When subjects were divided into two groups based on average QL scores, the frequency of intake of "barbecued beef" was significantly higher while the frequency of intake of "fried eggs or rolled omelet," and "soy milk" was significantly lower in the high QL group. Conclusions: Based on these findings, it is evident that in healthy adults without any known underlying illnesses, psychological factors such as economic activity, occupational environment, and stress are considered to have a greater impact on their QL than are nutrient intake, blood biochemical indices, and anthropometric status.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.142-154
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• 2022

Arsenic (As) contamination in groundwater is one of the main problems in Bangladesh. As toxicity causes serious human health problems such as edema, skin cancer, bladder cancer, lung cancer, hyperkeratosis, premature birth, and black foot disease. As contamination in groundwater mainly originates from the geological characteristics of the area due to the influence of anthropogenic activities. Since most of the people in Bangladesh rely on tube well for drinking water, it is necessary to investigate the current status of As pollution and identify the treatment technologies that can be used to provide arsenic-free drinking water in water-scarce areas. A total of 92 papers were reviewed in this study to present a complete overview of the recent status of groundwater As contamination in Bangladesh and different low-cost remediation technologies. A method for evaluating the relative feasibility of different treatment technologies was also utilized to determine the most appropriate technologies for groundwater As treatment in Bangladesh. The districts with the highest groundwater As contamination include Brahamanbariya, Tangail, Barisal, Pabna, Patuakhali, Kurigram, Magura, and Faridpur, with concentrations exceeding 0.05 mg/L. Only six districts had relatively low groundwater arsenic concentrations (0.01 mg/L), including Kushtia, Khagrachari, Jessore, Dinajpur, Meherpur, and Munshiganj. There were a number of technologies used for treating As in water, but aerated electrocoagulation, Mg-Fe-based hydrotalcite-like compound, and electro-chemical As remediation (ECAR) reactor were found to be the most feasible treatment methods for As. Overall, the investment, operational, and maintenance costs, availability of materials, and expertise requirements should be considered when selecting the most appropriate treatment method for As in water.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.256-269
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• 2020

Objectives: Everyone has been affected in some way by the COVID-19 pandemic, while some workers face threats to their health due to their jobs as well as worries about spreading the virus to intimate family members. With these concerns in mind, this study aims to identify occupations more vulnerable to COVID-19 and suggests the necessity of providing proper control measures against the risks in a timely manner in Korea. Methods: Daily briefing reports by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) were compiled (n=120) between January 20 and May 31, 2020. A total of 11,486 confirmed cases were included, which were sorted by occasion, area, and occupation. Among them, 2,411 cases were classified with specific occasions and/or areas of infection, while only 544 cases were determined with identifiable occupations. Guidelines for biological hazard management and COVID-19 guidelines for workplaces from domestic and international bodies were enlisted and compared. Results: It is unsurprising to find that healthcare professionals are experiencing the most immediate threat from COVID-19. In addition, service workers with face-to-face practices or indirect contact are also facing high risks. Religion facilities and eating places (dining, drinking bar, café, etc.,) follow. Guidelines and manuals for biological hazards are still lacking in Korea compared to the US and EU. Workplace manuals for managing COVID-19 are neither as comprehensive as the approaches of NIOSH's hierarchy of controls nor inclusive enough for minimizing secondary or tertiary suffering. Conclusions: The COVID-19 crisis is still ongoing and there is no doubt there will be more such events in the future. This analysis suggests that occupational health professionals, amid a pandemic including COVID-19, are urged to anticipate emerging risks related to all sorts of occupations, identify vulnerable workers and working environments, and plan and take actions to protect workers' health.

• Korean Medical Education Review
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.231-239
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• 2022

This study aimed to examine the influence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on areas of Korean medical students' lives, assess concerns, and investigate the strategies they used to cope with stress due to the pandemic. An online survey with a total of 53 items on the impact of COVID-19, concerns, and coping strategies was sent to medical students, and responses were collected from April 27, 2021 to May 30, 2021. In total, 1,329 students were included in the study. Analysis was performed using the chi-square test, independent-sample t-test, and one-way analysis of variance, and the post-hoc Scheffé test or Games-Howell test was performed for multiple comparisons. The main negative impacts of the pandemic were on hobbies/leisure activities and mental health, and medical students expressed the highest levels of concern regarding restriction of movement, returning to everyday life, and risk of infection for family and friends. Female students more strongly agreed that COVID-19 had increased their depressed mood and anxiety (p<0.001 and p=0.003, respectively). Furthermore, the negative impacts of the pandemic on different areas of life significantly affected current levels of depressed mood and anxiety. To cope with pandemic-related stress, students used several strategies such as talking with family or friends (91.5%), sleeping (83.1%), exercising (72.8%), using social networking services (60.8%), drinking alcohol (37.8%), and practicing meditation/mindfulness (24.4%); the effectiveness of these strategies ranged from 3.45 to 4.19 on a 5-point Likert-type scale (1-5). The study findings suggest that COVID-19 has influenced the mental health of medical students and raised concerns in many areas of their lives. Students used various strategies to cope with the pandemic-related stress; since the effectiveness of frequently used approaches varied, it is essential to guide medical students to develop effective coping strategies.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.163-175
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• 2023

This study aimed to examine the operations of school food services to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in schools nationwide. The survey data on school food service operations targeting nutrition teachers and nutritionists at 1,023 schools in 2020 and 1,177 schools in 2021 were used. The year 2021 saw an increase compared to 2020 in the following: 'average days to be served with meals for a year (144.5 vs. 184.7)', 'provided meals to all students (92.3% vs. 96.6%)', 'utilization of additional staff for foodservice assistance (33.4% vs. 38.8%)', 'installation of partitions (61.2% vs. 83.8%)', 'provision of general diet (96.1% vs. 99.1%)', and 'use of kitchen utensils (91.3% vs. 95.1%)', 'use of cafeteria water cup (9.9% vs. 31.0%)' and 'use of drinking water in school (46.8% vs. 52.1%)'. Compared to 2020, in 2021, it was confirmed that the school food service operations stabilized due to the increase in the normal school attendance rate and that systems were in place for operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the future, it will be necessary to develop manuals and special recipes necessary for responding to infectious diseases, and to operate a manpower pool that can quickly find replacement personnel if required.